Good Morning Sabah People,
Just before shutting down for August break (as the Italians do!), Peppe and his team in Monte San Giusto put the finishing touches on our third production run of Ancona Brown Alto Boots — and got them out the door. Grazie mille, Peppe! 🙏
Those boots just landed at Sabah HQ and our London shop — and are now live on the Sabah Portal. By next week, they’ll be at all Sabah Houses from Amagansett to Austin.
We’re proud of this one — not only because they’re beautifully made the Sabah way, but because the Alto Boot represents a new chapter for us beyond Sabahs & Babas. And judging by your enthusiasm, it’s a story worth continuing. Thank you!
To mark the restock, I took a walk with my friend, Sebastian Gladstone — gallerist, curious spirit, and the very first person to ever purchase a pair of Alto Boots. He spotted a sample on my personal Instagram and showed up at HQ to claim them. He’s been wearing that pair ever since, occasionally sending me a note about how much he loves them — an early sign we were onto something.
Sebastian has also got a sharp mind and great taste — so our walk & talk is transcribed below. Enjoy!
Sincerely,
The Sabah Dealer
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Sebastian Gladstone is the founder of the Sebastian Gladstone Gallery, a contemporary art space in NYC known for its sharp eye and fresh perspective.
We first crossed paths a decade ago in Venice, California, where I hired him to help pull off our first-ever major Sabah pop-up — a two-month whirlwind of dinners, live music, art, and parties late into the night. We worked hard, laughed harder, once fell for the same girl, and became lifelong friends in the process.
Since then, Sebastian has shifted from artist and publisher to gallerist, opening his namesake gallery in Tribeca — and curating with the same energy and intuition I’ve always admired.
He’s got great taste, a generous spirit, and I’m lucky to know him. Our conversation follows below — I hope you enjoy it.
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What draws you to an artist’s work?
"I try to find things I don’t totally understand, but keep wanting to come back to. For me, the power of art comes through in the unknown and the ephemeral experience of viewing something that I haven’t seen before."
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What’s a piece of art (or artist) that has had the biggest impact on you?
"The artist Nan Montgomery, who I opened my New York gallery with. She is 89 years old and such an amazing person with an amazing story. She never stopped pursuing her practice through all the ups and downs of life, and has such an amazing perspective and work ethic. This year her work was acquired by The Smithsonian Museum and The Los Angeles County Museum of Art. We recently published her first hardcover book, which I recommend everyone to take a look at."
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How did you meet Mickey?
"I met Mickey while working for him assisting with programming and production on a Sabah popup in Venice Beach ten years ago. It was an amazing experience and we became fast friends, and have stayed in touch ever since. I remember one night we threw a big party and the cops showed up. I ran to the door and excitedly said, “you guys are totally right it's too loud, I'll turn it down right now,” which somehow worked and we were able to keep partying into the night. I saw early on the ethos of community and something more than just a buying experience Mickey instilled in Sabah, and I have tried to instill that same ethos in my gallery."
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Favorite neighborhood in NYC?
"I love the East Village, which is also where I live. It still feels like a neighborhood and has this smallness in a way that is charming. I've been going to Cafe Himalaya since I was 21 and first moved to New York, not to mention Mogador, or the little bookshop next door that is still cash only."
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Go-to lunch spot in the city?
"Frenchette is right around the corner from the gallery, and I'm a sucker for their French fries. It’s also such a vibe, and a great place to catch a quick meeting."
Any current obsessions — books, movies, music?
"The Icelandic movie “Godland” by Hlynur Pálmason, it’s visually stunning and so tragically human."
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What’s a piece of advice you return to often?
"Life is a marathon not a sprint."
Dream city to open a third space?
"Paris is definitely the dream. I have gone ever summer for the last 9 years, and would love to have some sort of charming little jewel box there."
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Where To Next?
"I'm going to Santa Fe to visit my friend and artist Dustin Hodges in about a week. I’m staying at 10,000 Waves, which is a Japanese Onsen in the mountains just out of the city. Santa Fe is so beautiful and peaceful, and a great summer retreat. The perfect place for my desert boots, ha!"
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Thanks for a great afternoon, Sebastian.
I highly recommend a visit to his wonderful gallery. Tell him we sent you, and thank you for reading along.
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Heading to the Mediterranean soon... a pair of Sabahs and Porto Sandals in tow! |
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